August 16 Weekly Brief!

Biketoberfest returns on October 22 and now's the time to get your ticket!

This unique event lets you discover how easy it is to get around Charlotte without driving!

Bike around town to fun destinations while collecting stamps in your official Biketoberfest Passport!

The stamps you collect on your passport at official destinations will be entered in a raffle for many fantastic prizes! The more destinations you visit, the more chances you'll have to win!

Gather for an after party celebration with live music and an exciting raffle!

This event is for all ages and abilities. Kids under 18 participate for free with a registered adult.

Tickets are just $25 and include: Entry to the after party at Triple C Brewing Co., one free beer (at Triple C Brewing Co.), and an event t-shirt (must purchase ticket by 10/16 to be guaranteed a shirt).

Have you joined Way2Go CLT? Read the quote below from a participant and be inspired to start biking, walking, carpooling or riding transit for a chance to win prizes!

"I enjoy my walk commute to work. I get to look at all the new things being built around the city as well as enjoy our beautiful city. I try to walk different routes to take it all in! You don’t get to see things like that when you are driving since you go by so much faster. It takes me just as long to drive to work as it does to walk plus it saves me a TON of money not having to pay for parking." - Melanie T.

A view of the sun rising over 4th Ward Park from one of Melanie's commutes walking to work.

There are less than three months left of the Way2Go CLT challenge to drive one million fewer miles alone in 2017! Will you help us reach our goal?

Register for free TODAY for a chance to WIN! Simply log 10 trips you take biking, walking, carpooling, riding transit, or telecommuting.

Already participating? Take this survey to share your thoughts on the challenge so far!

Join our Biketoberfest planning committee and help make the event a success!

Biketoberfest is sure to be even bigger and better than last year with your help. Committee responsibilities include asking businesses to host a stop and/or donate raffle items. Commitment includes bi-weekly meetings (meetings are approximately one hour long) starting the week of August 21st up until the event. For more information and/or if you are interested in becoming a committee member, please email laura.heiser@sustaincharlotte.org.

"A neighborhood on the verge needs some sort of design guidelines. The city’s new Unified Development Ordinance – under development now by staff and consultants – needs to be fast tracked to 2018, not 2019. It’s pretty telling that Greenville, SC, a city Charlotte out-populates by 800,000 people, has had a well regarded set of Design Guidelines for Development for 17 years, and Charlotte has none. In short, we deserve better, Charlotte needs better." We completely agree!

"Having a bike share program at UNC Charlotte has been in the works for YEARS. The wait is finally over; Charlotte Wheels is live! Ten rack corrals were installed and 50 Gotcha Bikes arrived last week. Students discovered them and began riding almost immediately." On August 23rd, UNC Charlotte is officially launching their new Charlotte Wheels bike share program! Students, staff and visitors are welcome to sign up for either the free "Point To Point" option with one hour of free biking per day, or the "Lifestyle" option with two hours of biking per day and a discounted fee for any additional time. The bikes will be able to be found at 10 corral locations across campus and are able to be reserved using the SoBi app. Learn more here!

“The new Downtown Community Plan addresses the growing affordability crisis and an overreliance on cars — issues of concern to planning officials in more and more cities around the U.S. In a unanimous vote, the City Council voted to remove parking requirements altogether for new developments coming into the downtown area." This is a great article about how Santa Monica is supporting affordable housing and freeing up more public space by eliminating parking requirements for new construction!

"Few modes are as cost-efficient and environmentally friendly as a plain old bus with a well-designed route. And it turns out what seniors want in their transit options isn’t much different from the rest of us, according to TransitCenter's national Who’s On Board 2016 survey." By 2030, about 15% of Mecklenburg residents will be 65+. Let's ensure that everyone has a dignified, safe, and affordable choice to travel car-free!

* September 13 *: Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking at our September Monthly Mixer! At 6:45, our program will begin and you'll hear from Architect and Planner Tom Low of Civic by Design as he presents Light Imprint for walkable green infrastructure. This leaner, lighter approach to infrastructure is more cost-effective, sustainable, and livable—an idea worth considering for Charlotte and beyond.

* October 22 *: Biketoberfest is a unique event that lets you discover how easy it is to get around Charlotte without driving! Bike around town to fun destinations while collecting stamps in your official Biketoberfest Passport. The stamps you collect on your passport at official destinations will be entered in a raffle for many fantastic prizes! Then, gather for an after party celebration with live music and an exciting raffle! This is a family-friendly event. Kids under 18 participate for free.

August 31: You’re invited to meet and hear the candidates for Mayor, City Council At-Large and City Council Districts 6 and 7 at the South CLT Candidate Forum, 6:15pm-9:00pm at WR Davie Conference Center.

September 27: Don't miss your opportunity to hear Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American Cityin Charlotte. He will appear at 6:30 p.m.Sept. 27 at McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square. The event is free and open to the public but there's already a waitlist is required.

We're happy to announce that Bike Law has joined the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network at the Bronze level!

Bike Law is a network of independent bicycle attorneys and advocates across North America. We have been protecting the rights of bicyclists since 1998.

Is your company interested in joining the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network? Our generous partners play a critical role in supporting our work. Through our corporate membership program, we provide year-round brand exposure, positive publicity, and business development opportunities to those businesses and nonprofits that are helping make our community more sustainable through their products, services, or commitment to move their organization towards greater sustainability. Become a partner today!